Visitors still enjoyed the chance to get away

While the weather was far from perfect this Memorial Day weekend, as evidenced by the hail that fell in parts of the state, it didn't seem to spoil the holiday for the half million visitors that were expected to head to New Hampshire.

“Still happy to come up here, and walk around in the woods, and see all the green trees bursting with buds,” Meg Shaheen of Cambridge, Massachusetts, said of her visit.When the sun came out so did the crowds.

Hampton Beach was packed with people enjoying everything the beach and boardwalk had to offer. Although it was a little cloudy Monday morning, that didn't discourage others from heading in that direction.

“It's our normal camping trip. It rains about every year we go there so it's what we expect, but it will clear up,” Shawn Banyea said of the weather.

While the Banyeas were just starting their vacation, for most others it was time to head home.

Bob Myerson, of Marlbehead, Massachusetts, said after a tough winter it was great to finally get away.

“We have a house up in Center Harbor, so the lake was good,” Myerson said. “It was very nice up there because even though it rained it cleared up in the afternoon.”

Even for motorcyclists, who you would think would be impacted the most by the inclement weather, seemed to catch a break.

“It wasn't bad during the ride yesterday,” Will Burbage, of Mansfield, Connecticut, said. “The rain held off until we got back to the clubhouse, we had a nice cook-out and the rain just barely missed us. We just got a few sprinkles on half the parking lot.

“We were lucky.”

In all, the holiday visitors were expected to spend about $89 million.

YOU CAN GET THE FORECAST WHEN YOU NEED IT WITH OUR FREE APP. YOU CAN GET THE REGIONAL FORECAST AND CHECK THE INTERACTIVE RADAR. THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND WINDING DOWN TODAY. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO NEW HAMPSHIRE WILL BE HEADED HOME. TOURISTS WERE EXPECTED TO SPEND ABOUT 89 MILLION DOLLARS. AS RAY BREWER TELLS US, THE WET FORECAST DID NOT PUT A DAMPER ON IT THE VISITORS, DID IT, RAY? IT DID NOT. WE TALKED PEOPLE WHO VACATIONED ALL OVER NEW HAMPSHIRE FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SEACOAST. MOST SAID WHILE THE WEATHER WAS NOT PERFECT, IT DID NOT PUT A DAMPER ON THEIR ENTHUSIASM AND IT FELT GREAT TO JUST GET AWAY. WHILE THE WEATHER WAS FAR FROM PERFECT THIS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, AS EVIDENCED BY THE HAIL THAT FELL IN PARTS OF THE STATE, IT STILL DID NOT SPOIL THE HOLIDAY FOR THE HALF MILLION VISITORS EXPECTED TO HEAD TO NEW HAMPSHIRE. STILL NICE TO COME UP HERE AND WALK AROUND IN THE WOODS. SEE THE TREES IN BLOOM. WHEN THE SUN CAME OUT, SO DID THE CROWDS. PEOPLE PACKED HAMPTON BEACH, ENJOYING EVERYTHING THE BEACH AND BOARDWALK HAD TO OFFER. WHILE IT WAS CLOUDY EARLY MONDAY MORNING, THAT DID NOT DISCOURAGE OTHERS ARE HEADING THAT DIRECTION. EVERY YEAR WE GO THERE. THAT IS EXCITING. WHILE THEY WERE JUST STARTING THEIR VACATION, FOR MOST OTHERS IT WAS TIME TO HEAD OLD -- HOME . BOB MYERSON SAYS AFTER A TOUGH WINTER IT WAS NICE TO GET AWAY. THE LAKE WAS GOOD. VERY NICE. EVEN THOUGH IT RAINED, IT CLEARED UP IN THE AFTERNOON. SO, IT WAS GOOD. EVEN FOR MOTORCYCLISTS SCUM OF THE ONES YOU THINK WOULD BE MOST IMPACTED BY THE INCLEMENT WEATHER, -- EVEN FOR THE MOTORCYCLIST, SOME OF THE ONES YOU THINK WOULD BE THE MOST IMPACTED BY THE INCLEMENT WEATHER, THEY STILL HAD A GOOD A DAY. THE RAIN JUST BARELY MISSED US. WE WERE LUCKY. AS YOU TAKE A LIVE LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC, YOU CAN SEE IT IS FLOWING SMOOTHLY. CONGESTION IS EXPECTED TO BUILD THIS AFTERNOON.